The present invention relates to an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus and a method of producing an ultrasound image. The invention more particularly relates to an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus which produces an ultrasound image based on reception signals obtained by transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves from and in an ultrasound probe and displays the produced ultrasound image on a monitor.
Heretofore, ultrasound diagnostic apparatuses that use ultrasound images have been put to practical use in the medical field. Generally in this type of ultrasound diagnostic apparatuses, a transducer array of an ultrasound probe transmits ultrasonic beams toward the inside of a subject and receives ultrasonic echoes from the subject, and the diagnostic apparatus body electrically processes reception signals to produce an ultrasound image.
An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus has recently been developed which performs various examinations based on ultrasound images and assists in the examinations themselves so that even an operator who lacks experience and knowledge can perform accurate examinations. For example, JP 6-125893 A discloses an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus capable of measuring the length of a measurement site of an ultrasound diagnostic image by setting a starting point caliper marker and a moving caliper marker to both the ends of the measurement site, respectively. JP 2004-305236 A discloses an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus including two linear calipers which are parallel to each other and are capable of rotation and translation with the calipers kept parallel to each other. JP 2004-208858 A discloses an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus including measurement calipers capable of line type change, highlighting and the like.
With such ultrasound diagnostic apparatuses, even an operator who lacks experience and knowledge can perform efficient and accurate examinations without being confused by the operation.